Prison Crisis & Turmoil Part Two – Solutions?

In the first part of this discussion on the Prison Service I outlined what is happening in terms of the pay, conditions and recruitment into the Prison Service, together with the impact of the Zero Based Bench-marking and New Ways of Working “initiatives”.

So what effect is this having upon the Prison Service today? The following are genuine occurrences in prisons in the preceding days at the time of writing.

On Thursday 2 January 2014 three prisoners wearing balaclavas and armed with table legs assaulted a lone Officer during movement of prisoners back to their cells. They took his keys off him and gained access to a non-prisoner area where civilians work. Before Officers were able to intervene they had completely destroyed an office containing vital work and information. HMP Nottingham has been restructured under this Zero Based Bench-marking and New Ways of Working, and had its staffing levels reduced as a result. The cause of this incident has been directly linked to reduced staffing levels. Later that evening the prison management thought it was a good idea to still let prisoners out of their cells. As a result two prisoners then gained access to the netting above the stairs. National resources then had to be called out to resolve the incident. All of this has a cost attached for the tax payer.

On the same day a package that had been thrown over a prison wall in the north east was intercepted. It contained knives and mobile phones amongst other items. Had this got to the prisoners it was intended for, could the murder of staff been just one of the results?

Friday 3 January saw further Prison Service news demonstrating the crisis and turmoil in our prison system. The Prison Service is spending £70,000 of tax payers’ money on a survey asking prisoners why they use mobile phones in prisons. The Prison Service has stated that mobile phone blockers are too expensive. At the Prison Officers’ Association Annual Conference in 2013 I brought a motion to make it POA policy that all prisons should have mobile phone blockers to render the trade and use of mobile phones in prisons obsolete. This was overwhelmingly accepted. The Prison Service is fully aware of this as they had observers at the Conference. Unfortunately rather than working with the POA, the Government and Prison Service have decided that spending £70,000 asking prisoners why they use mobile phones in prison would be a good idea, and naturally every prisoner will answer the survey honestly! £70,000 would buy 1,166 blockers at a list price of £60 per unit with a range of 10m. However, I doubt with the bulk buying power of the Ministry of Justice and the volume required that the unit cost would be anywhere near £60, and then there would be no need for this survey!

Thursday 2 January also saw the publication of some very interesting data on the prisons run by the private sector in England and Wales. One statement about HMP Oakwood makes the situation there very clear:

Grayling’s beloved HMP Oakwood was recently found by inspectors to be in urgent need of a rescue plan, with inexperienced prison staff so unwilling to keep inmates under control that it verged on collusion. Inspectors were told “on more than one occasion…that you can get drugs easier than soap.”

The Ministry of Justice’s Prison Performance Assessment Tool (PPAT) found the average private sector performance to be 2.6 and the public sector 2.85. These private prisons are managed by the same companies who have over-charged the Taxpayer for prisoners who are fitted with monitoring tags after release, who either don’t exist or are even dead in some cases. The first private sector prison HMP Wolds was found to be managed so ineptly that it is now in the public sector. Two of the three worst rated prisons in the country are in the private sector. The public have a lot to thank the current Coalition Government and the previous Labour Government for.

I am sure everyone in this country is aware of the savage and barbaric murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale. Prior to their trial, Michael Adebolajo behaved in an aggressive and dangerous manner towards Officers which meant that he needed to be restrained for the safety of staff and for the prisoner’s own safety. All operational Prison Officer Grades are trained in Home Office approved techniques in Control and Restraint and have to pass an annual refresher in this training. The management at the establishment where this happened immediately suspended these five Officers subject to a Police investigation into whether they assaulted Michael Adebolajo. The CPS and the Police have said these five Officers have no case to answer and that they will not be prosecuted. The Prison Service, however, has decided to now conduct its own investigation into the five and they remain suspended from duty pending a Prison Service investigation.

This has just been an example of what has happened in the Prison Service over a very short period of time, there are far worse examples in the last year alone. The Prison Service is lurching from crisis to crisis and the point will come when the system collapses and someone is murdered whilst working in a prison. But as a news report has said:

During Mr Clegg’s outburst, he also criticised Theresa May’s Home Office for causing difficulties for No.10 – and compared both Mr Gove and Mrs May unfavourably to Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, whose department, he said, ‘works really well’.

Thank you for that Mr Clegg! So it is clear that the existing Westminster parties are incapable of running a prisons system that serves the country effectively and efficiently. Is there an alternative? UKIP is the only alternative, and is currently devising a prisons policy that addresses these issues and more. We currently have a bargain basement Prison Service, but so much more can and should be achieved. Only UKIP can provide that, so when you are at the ballot box in the European and General Elections please remember this and vote UKIP.

About The Author

Phil Birch is a serving Prison Officer, Prison Officers' Association Branch Chair, and UKIP Council candidate in the Borough of Elmbridge. He is currently working with UKIP's Justice Spokesman Gerard Batten MEP to formulate UKIP's prisons policy.

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13 Comments

pfsgaoler
on January 19, 2014 at 5:14 pm

So Phil Birch,
Exactly how much and what experience do you have in setting a prisons policy or indeed any policy, how many types of prison have you worked in, have you relevant experience of all categories prison and prisoners. As a POA Branch chair it will no doubt be a tainted view which in turn will give a poor unusable and unworkable solution. Unless you have considerable “time in” that has seen the vast change in the service from a “what worked” approach to “what doesn’t” then I doubt you are qualified to preach policy to a party that has equally no experience in running anything.
Part of the problem with the service is the POA, the NEC did little or nothing to stop some of these changes. In my view, and to be fair lots of other staff’s views, the NEC are in cahoots with the prisons board.
And one last point, as a serving prison officer and civil servant your not allowed a political view, and as a government employee you are not allowed to follow any practice that is against the current government.
stop playing at being a politician and concentrate on your day job and you might help to improve it

Phil Birch
on January 19, 2014 at 8:43 pm

Thank you for your comment pfsgaoler, Wow! I’m afraid only knowing your screen name I am unable to show you the same courtesy and address you by name. It is very easy for Prison Service staff from different categories of prisons and estates to criticise levels of experience held by colleagues outside of their own establishment. I am somewhat saddened though, by the aggressive tone you use towards me, particularly as you have never met me, but you are happy to make an assumption about me based on my role as a POA Branch Chair. The first point I will address is that as a Civil Servant and a Prison Officer I fall into what the Civil Service terms the ‘politically free zone’ and as long as I have permission from the Governing Governor of my establishment, I am allowed to stand for political office at both Council, Westminster and EU level, I have this permission. A phone call to the Civil Service Shared Services Centre will confirm this with respect to holding political office for you.

Secondly, I have nine years service in the female estate, if you are in the Prison Service you will be able to find me on the email system, please feel free to email me there. I am not ‘preaching policy’ as you stated, but assisting in the formulation of a policy for the benefit of the people who work in it and for the tax payer at large. As yet no one outside of those involved has read what is being proposed at this stage, therefore, I am quite surprised that you feel able to dismiss something whilst having no knowledge of its contents. I believe that it makes sense for people who work in a service or an industry to have input into a political party’s policy, rather than a career politician with no experience of the world outside Westminster or Brussels.

With respect to the NEC of the Prison Officers’ Association, or any other such body, it is only as good as the people who stand for Office and the members that vote. Knowing many of the NEC, whilst I don’t necessarily share all of their political views, I have found them to be hard working dedicated individuals who have always been ready and willing to help. I originally came into Office with the POA to help my fellow colleagues not from any political desire, but having seen the disastrous treatment of the Prison Service for myself over the last nine years, and having done my research of what happened prior to me joining I am happy to stand up and be counted. And it is for this same reason why I am a member and a council candidate for UKIP. Sadly one thing I have observed in the last nine years in the Prison Service (I was a manager in the leisure industry previously) is that it is incredibly easy to snipe and criticise from the sidelines, it is quite another to stand up and do something about what you believe in. This is why I am a POA Branch Chair. This is why I am standing for UKIP!

clockwatcher
on January 19, 2014 at 9:55 pm

Do you however have permission to communicate with the media. I believe there is a PSO on public relations which states

5.4 There must be no communication with
the media which is critical of, or inconsistent with, Government policies.

Strikes me you are somewhat in breach of this.

Phil Birch
on January 20, 2014 at 11:16 pm

The problem with a lot of PSOs and PSIs is that they often contradict each other, if the section you have quoted was rigidly applied then POA Officials and members would not be allowed to write articles for Gatelodge or other publications. Every post in ‘Know the Danger’ would be result in dismissal, there would be no one left in the Prison Service. I have made it perfectly clear that as well as a UKIP Candidate I have written my article as a POA Branch Chair to bring attention to the way in which members at my establishment and other the rest of the Prison Service are being treated. If no one speaks out, then the public will not know what is happening to a Public Service.

clockwatcher
on January 19, 2014 at 10:09 pm

The civil service code also states that
4.4.1 Departments and agencies must make clear to staff any restrictions on their taking part in political activities. Political activities that may be subject to restriction are defined as follows:

and

b. at local level: candidature for, or co-option to, local authorities; holding in a party political organisation, office impinging wholly or mainly on party politics in the local field; speaking in public on matters of local political controversy; expressing views on such matters in letters to the Press, or in books, articles or leaflets; and canvassing on behalf of candidates for election to local authorities or a local political organisation.

This applies equally to this deemed politically free.

pfsgaoler
on January 20, 2014 at 10:26 pm

Actually with a massive 9 years prison service experience in the female estate and as previously a manager in the leisure industry your ideally placed to form a prison policy I guess it will be as much use as the current crop of political prison policy writers. As someone with 30 years prison experience I probably know nothing, and pointing out your short comings in a public forum is hardly sniping. Your comment on the disastrous treatment of the service, in 9 years, hardly you have no idea. As for the NEC being hardworking well tell that to the staff at the clusters during the recent round of bidding of their infrequent visits with no information and actually armed with nothing to challenge the process, and yes I did say it to their faces, how sheepish did they look. On the NEC the chairmen is now talking with the PGA an non affiliated union, why, and in an article to the probation service he described the staff at HMP Dartmoor in the early days as barbaric. He will be unaware of the HMP Dartmoor posting policy of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s is it right and proper that he sits in his semi detached office in London with his free mobile phone (paid for from subs) and his 45ppm for the first 10000 miles and 25ppm after that, and his hotel bills paid and £26pn to enjoy a meal, discussing policy with a non affiliated union, is it right and proper that he discusses staff in that way to the probation service or indeed anyone else..
Hostility, nope not at all its called reality. Stop playing with politics and do your day job and make a difference there.

Phil Birch
on January 20, 2014 at 11:08 pm

I am really disappointed that you feel the need to attack me with such venom, and from behind a screen name whilst I happy to put my name to my work! Having less time in the Prison Service does not make my voice any less valid than yours! However, I am prepared to stand up and be counted. Being negative is the easy option. Having been a Therapeutic Community Officer, though, it does appear from the anger with with you attack me, that perhaps speaking to someone and exploring why you feel this way, may be of benefit to you.

I would have thought that having someone who is willing and able to speak up for ‘The Forgotten Service’ would be welcomed. There is more than enough time outside of my ‘day job’ to follow up my interests, and I am perfectly free and entitled to do so. May I suggest that it could be cathartic for you to use your experience to stand up for your colleagues rather than looking for people to attack from behind the safety of an anonymous screen name.

Stating the expenses of the POA Chairman is something where I fail to see what you hope to achieve. Whatever you think of him as an individual, he is the democratically elected Chairman, and the expenses are the same as those provided by the Prison Service and voted on by the POA Annual Conference. A fact you must surely be aware of.

It also appears that you believe I have no place in being a member of a political party or to stand as a candidate, I, and I am sure others, would be really interested in hearing what you believe qualifies someone to be interested in politics and be able to stand as a candidate? Perhaps being constructive rather than outpourings of venom would be of more use!

pfsgaoler
on January 24, 2014 at 10:31 am

Phil

That’s the sort of response I expected, focussing on what you think is venom when really its just pointing out reality, I suppose you are one of those people who think robust management is bullying.

As an ex T.C officer you will appreciate honesty which is what Grendon is based on. So when I give my honest opinion you don’t like it which is somewhat at odds with the TC ethos.

I am fully aware of how the NEC expenses are agreed and how the service agrees its expenses nationally, but it does not make it right that individuals can waste tax payers money, my money, your money and your readers money. I know exactly how much the NEC cost the tax payer in expenses. Maybe its time the public knew what union costs to run.

As Clockwatcher points out, you have no right to engage in political activity due to restrictions placed on you and all prison service staff by PSI’s and PSO’s, your defence that PSO’s and PSI’s often contradict themselves is laughable and shows me that you have little backbone. Gatelodge isn’t political its a magazine sharing staff’s views and includes other article. As for facebook sites there is nothing political there either as it is not affiliated with a political party. This is think shows your lack of experience. The way you change your stance to suit your own end is probably the best qualification you have to be involved in your political activities.

Phil Birch
on January 24, 2014 at 12:19 pm

Thank your for your amusing reply, as I suspected you have nothing constructive to offer, my stance is consistent., I have the right as a union official to represent the issues facing my members. I also have the right to stand for political office, there are already POA members who hold political office. My backbone is demonstrated in my willingness and ability to put my name to my work whilst I stand up for my members. Perhaps you will show some backbone and email me at work and stop hiding behind a screen name.

pfsgaoler
on January 29, 2014 at 2:10 pm

Dear Phil
Thank you for the lack of substance in which to reply to, and I congratulate you on your inability to answer a question directly a true politician in the making. I guess the time spent in the POA office dodging the landings is paying off. Good luck on your political career lets hope you make a success of it.

James Miller
on January 16, 2014 at 1:49 pm

I am an ex. Senior Officer who served in H.M.P.Maidstone for a period of 23yrs is it not time that the powers at be actually attempted to run our prisons properly by taking on the views of staff, and by staff I mean those who actually man the landings and deal with prisoners on a daily basis, at the end of the day these people are the experts.

callingallcomets
on January 15, 2014 at 3:59 pm

Surely any discussion on penal policy should start from general principles, not just talking about imprisonment but the whole range of penalties available to our courts for those who break the law. Furthermore the purpose of imprisonment needs to be considered. Talking specifically about prison officers terms and conditions seems to me putting the cart before the horse

topt
on January 15, 2014 at 2:33 am

I am an ex Senior Prison Officer and unfortunately worked in a private Prison, H.M.P. Dovegate. The Prison is an absolute shambles. It is a pleasure holiday camp for prisoners. I was told recently that there was a lock down at the Prison by an officer whom I have known for a number of years. I was amazed as to why the Prison was locked down, the officer who told me was furious. The lockdown was done simply because a modern up to date flat screen television was put in every cell, along with a phone.
Prisoners are supposed to be in prison for punishment against crimes. Prisons are very over crowded simply because a vast majority re-offend on a regular basis. The main reason that they don’t mind coming back to a Holiday camp, is knowing that they will get free food and that they have no bills to pay and to get paid for doing a minimal amount of work. There is also a large number of immigrants that have been sent to prison and detention centres, this is another reason why prisons are so over crowded. A vast majority of M.P.’s are living in cloud cuckoo land, they will not accept the fact, that they have and are making drastic mistakes.

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